Persons with disabilities in Bihar demand representation in panchayats

Persons with disabilities in Bihar want representation in panchayats to have their voices heard at the local level.

Under the banner of the Bihar Association of Persons with Disabilities (PwD), a group of PwDs demanded here on Wednesday that in the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state, there should be reservations for the divyaangs also.

They said they want 5% reservations in panchayat elections for the posts of mukhia, panchayat samiti, zila parishad sarpanch, ward members and panch, as per the provisions of the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. They have threatened if their demands are not considered, they would resort to agitation.

In the three-tier panchayat system in the state, some seats have been reserved not only for the members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, but 50% of seats have been reserved for women belonging to both reserved and general categories.

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Election for the reserved and general category seats of panchayats in the state is to be held in the first week of August and it’s expected to be held in 10 phases.

There are 8,387 gram panchayats created at the village level, 534 panchayat samitis at block level and 38 Zila parishads at district level in the state. These gram panchayats are divided into nearly 115,000 wards.

“But the representation of Divyaangs in the panchayats is almost nil while the state has around 5,100,000 Divyaangs are in the state,” Sugandh Narayan Prasad, secretary of the association, said.

A memorandum in this connection will be submitted to the state election commission on Friday, the association secretary said.

Shivajee Kumar, former disabilities commissioner, said the demand for reservation in the panchayats is quite logical.

“It’s needed to ensure justice and protection of their rights,” he said.